averageperson.euOne statistical standard, 27 countries

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Belgium and France

The same question asked of every column. Numbers that break down by age or sex follow the controls; the rest stay country-wide and say so.

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Belgium

France

The widest gap is At risk of poverty: France 16.3% against Belgium 10.9%, 5.4 points apart.

Ageall ages
Sex

One question per row

The faint tick on each bar is the EU27 figure.

Figure
Belgium
France

People

Median age0.7 years
42.1 years
42.8 years
Life expectancy at birth0.6 years
82.4 years
83.0 years
People5.80×
11.9m
68.9m
People per square kilometre3.59×
390 per km²
109 per km²
Women in the population0.9 points
50.6%
51.5%
Born abroad6.2 points
20.2%
14.0%
Born outside the EU1.0 points
12.1%
11.1%

Money and work

Disposable income per person18.3%
€31,299
€26,459
Average net income11.3%
€33,873
€30,438
Take-home pay, average-wage worker12.6%
€36,414
€32,346
Gross pay, average-wage worker34.1%
€59,544
€44,400
Minimum wage19.7%
€2,234
€1,867
In work, age 20 to 642.6 points
72.8%
75.4%
Out of work1.5 points
6.2%
7.7%
Hours worked a week0.7 hours
36.5 hours
37.2 hours
At risk of poverty5.4 points
10.9%
16.3%
Housing costs over 40% of income0.3 points
6.7%
6.4%
GDP per person24.4%
€53,930
€43,350

Family and home

People at home4.8%
2.2
2.1
Households with children2.8 points
32.0%
29.2%
Children per woman11.8%
1.44
1.61
Own their home9.5 points
70.9%
61.4%

Health and daily life

Hospital beds0.1%
534 per 100,000 people
534 per 100,000 people
Doctors17.7%
335 per 100,000 people
395 per 100,000 people

Education

With a degree2.7 points
47.5%
44.8%
Students per 1,000 people11.2%
46.6 per 1,000 people
41.9 per 1,000 people

Public spending

Public spending on them16.5%
€28,373
€24,346
Tax raised per person25.3%
€24,108
€19,244
Government debt7.7 points
107.9%
115.6%

Country and infrastructure

Land area20.82×
30,667 km²
638,475 km²
Railway density2.73×
118.7 per 1,000 km²
43.5 per 1,000 km²
Motorway density3.12×
57.9 per 1,000 km²
18.5 per 1,000 km²
Cars per 1,000 people12.7%
513 per 1,000 people
578 per 1,000 people
Households with internet0.3 points
94.7%
94.4%
Tourist nights per resident80.7%
3.79
6.85

Environment

Renewable energy9.0 points
14.9%
23.9%
Land under forest6.1 points
22.0%
28.1%

Where €100 of public spending goes

Every euro each general government spends, sorted into the ten functions all 27 countries report against. Open a row for the ranking of 27 and what sits inside it.

Belgium

France

Function
Belgium
France
13.2%
10.8%
2.4%
3.2%
3.2%
3.1%
11.9%
9.9%
2.1%
1.8%
0.7%
2.5%
14.8%
15.6%
2.3%
2.6%
11.7%
8.9%
37.7%
41.5%

Reference year 2024. Total public spending €100.00 in every column, so the ten shares always add up to one hundred.

Frequently asked: Belgium and France

  1. Which covers more ground: Belgium or France?

    The gap is 20.82×: France 638,475, Belgium 30,667. Total area of the country, inland water included. reg_area3 · 2026. See the figure

  2. Where do more people live: Belgium or France?

    The gap is 5.80×: France 68.9m, Belgium 11.9m. People usually resident in the country on 1 January. demo_pjan · 2025. See the figure

  3. Which is more crowded: Belgium or France?

    The gap is 3.59×: Belgium 390, France 109. People per square kilometre of that total area. reg_area3 · 2026. See the figure

  4. Where is there more railway per 1,000 km²: Belgium or France?

    The gap is 2.73×: Belgium 118.7, France 43.5. Railway line in use for every 1,000 square kilometres of the country. rail_if_line_tr · 2024. See the figure

  5. Where does more energy come from renewables: Belgium or France?

    The gap is 9.0 points: France 23.9%, Belgium 14.9%. Share of final energy use that comes from renewable sources. nrg_ind_ren · 2025. See the figure

  6. Where is the risk of poverty higher: Belgium or France?

    The gap is 5.4 points: France 16.3%, Belgium 10.9%. Share living on less than 60% of the national median equivalised income. ilc_li02 · 2025. See the figure

  7. Which spends a larger share of its budget on defence: Belgium or France?

    The gap is 0.9 points: France 3.2%, Belgium 2.4%. Armed forces, defence equipment, military aid abroad, and defence research. gov_10a_exp · 2024. See the figure

  8. Where are there more doctors per 100,000 people: Belgium or France?

    The gap is 17.7%: France 395, Belgium 335. Practising doctors, per 100,000 residents. hlth_rs_phys · 2024. See the figure

  9. Where do more people own their home: Belgium or France?

    The gap is 9.5 points: Belgium 70.9%, France 61.4%. Share of people living in a home owned by their household, mortgaged or outright. ilc_lvho02 · 2025. See the figure

  10. Where are there more university students per 1,000 people: Belgium or France?

    The gap is 11.2%: Belgium 46.6, France 41.9. People in higher education, per 1,000 residents. educ_uoe_enrt01 · 2024. See the figure

Medians where possible, per-capita averages for spending. This person is a composite of published statistics, not the most common person in the country.